Yarn tension device



May 28, 1957 c. H. LIPE, JR 2,793,823

YARN TENSION DEVICE Filed Dec. 7, 1955 INVENTOR ORNEY United States Patent YARN TENSION DEVICE Clarence H. Lipe, Jr., Concord, N. C., assignor to Alamance Industries, Inc., Burlington, N. C., a corporation of North Carolina Application December 7, 1955, Serial No. 551,556

4 Claims. (Cl; 242-147) This invention relates to yarn tensioning devices.

The general object .of the invention is to provide an improved yarn tensioning device for stocking knitting machines and other textile machines. In such machines the yarn may be of very fine denier, as for example 12 denier nylon, and may also. be of considerable twist, either as a whole or be composed of two ends or filaments twisted together and having'varying amounts of twist and reverse twist, applied with a variety of heat setting operations. The prevention of snarling and snagging is accordingly important and is achieved only partiallyby the frictional and other tensioning devices now in use.

The tensioning mechanism of the present invention is of an extremely simple character, is automatic in operation and does not involve parts requiring delicate adjustment or precision manufacture.

The tensioning device embodying the invention in a preferred form will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and the features forming the invention will then be pointed out in the appended clairns.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view partly broken away of a device embodying the invention in a preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view looking in the direction of .the arrows 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are elevational views similar to Figs. 1 and 2, respectively but showing the device in a different operating position;

Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views showing the device in still another operating position.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the tube 10 is carried on a support 11 having a circular projection 12 around which the tube 10 fits. The tensioning device indicated genorally at 13 comprises a circular base 14 which sits on the upper end of tube 10 and has a plurality of spring tongues 15 for engaging the inner wall of the tube and holding the tensioning device in place thereon.

The tensioning device comprises a post 16, washer element 17, upper post 18 and upper washer 19, all held together with the base 14 by a central bolt 20. The tube and tensioning device are positioned below a thread guide 21 of the knitting or other textile machine and the yarn or filament 22 is drawn off the body of the tube 10 over the rounded edge of the base disk 14, and through a circular ring 23 which is carried loosely on the upper post 18. The position of the ring 23 may vary and the points of contact of the yarn 22 will also vary, in the manner described below and regulating the tension accordingly.

Figs. 1, 3 and 5 (and their corresponding Figs. 2, 4 and 6) represent heavy, medium and light tension conditions, respectively. The essential difference between these three conditions of operation is the height of the ring 23 upon its post 18. Since the tube 10 does not rotate, the yarn 22 as it is drawn oif the tube moves around the base disk 14, thus walking the ring 23 around the post 18, so that a very small force will suffice to move the ring 23 up "ice and down the circular post 18, as any frictional resistance to such movement is entirely eliminated.

In Fig. l the yarn 22 may just clear the edge of upper washer 19 and may also clear lower washer 17. Under this condition the yarn tension T has a resultant R which is comparatively small in magnitude and is quite close to being horizontal. The vertical component of this resultant which tends to lift the ring 23 is accordingly very small and counter-balanced in the position of Fig. 1 by a very light ring even though the tension T may be comparatively heavy. For example, it will be apparent that the resultant R may be only about 25% of the tension T,- while the vertical component of this resultant may be an even smaller fraction, with the result that a ring will balance a tension T in the yarn which may exceed its weight by tenor twenty times.

Under lighter tension conditions the ring 23 may drop to the position of Fig. 3 in which the yarn may still clear the edge of upper washer 19 but the yarn breaks'over the edge of lower washer 17. This sharpens the angle between the course of the yarn 22 approaching ring 23 and the course of the yarn 22 leaving the ring 23 and has the double effect of increasing a ratio between the resultant force and the yarn device and also directing this resultant more toward the vertical. In consequence, the ratio between the vertical component of the yarn tension exerted on the ring 23 and the yarn tension itself is increased, so that the ring 23 in the lower position of Figs. 3 and. 4 will balance against the lighter tension in the yarn.

vIn Figs. 5 and 6 the ring is shown as having dropped to its lowermost position and the yarn 22 is now breaking over washer 19 as well as washer 17. It will be apparent that the resultant of the yarn tension is again directed more upwardly and that its ratio to the yarn tension itself is further increased so that the weight of ring 23 in the position of Fig. 5 may balance against a still lighter yarn tension.

In the position of Fig. 1 the yarn is subjected to the frictional force created by its passage over the edge of the lower disk 14 thus providing required tension in the course between disk 14 and ring 23. In the position of Fig. 3 the yarn is subjected to the added resistance of its friction against washer 17 and in the position of Fig. 5, this resistance is increased by the increased wrap of the yarn over the rounded edge of washer 17. The device is thus capacitated by minute and rapid movements of the ring 23 to smooth out tension variation resulting from resistance to drawing the yarn from the tube and also capacitated to find a balance point for determining the average tensioning at any given time in accordance with the speed of drawing off of the yarn by the machine and the average resistance of the yarn to leaving the tube and to passing over the various points of contact.

It will be seen that between the positions of Figs. 1 and 3 and in a position where the yarn 22 just touches the washer 17, a very sensitive control point is provided where tension will be considerably changed by small movement of the ring 23. Also, in a position between that of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 and in which the yarn just breaks over the edge of washer 18, a second sensitive point, where very slight movement of ring 23 has considerable effect, is created. The device thus has an inherent operating range which can be selected with any desired degree of accuracy and in a very simple manner as by selecting the weight of ring 23, the height of posts 16 and 18 and the diameter of washers 17 and 19.

What is claimed is:

l. Yarn tension device for use with textile tubes, comprising a base member adapted to fit on a tube on which the yarn is wound and having a circular and rounded guide surface for drawing off the yarn, a circular post 3 located centrally of the said member and extending upwardly therefrom, a ring freely rotatable and freely movable axially of the said post, and having clearance therefrom to permit passing the yarn therethrough and drawing it otf'to a point aligned with the post axis, and a circular guide member concentric with the lower member, spaced upwardly therefrom and below the said ring.

2. Yarn tension device for use with textile tubes, comprising a base member adapted to fit on a tube on which the yarn is wound and having a circular and rounded guide surface for drawing off the yarn, a circular post located centrally of the said member and extending upwardly therefrom, a ring freely rotatable and freely movable axially of the said post, and having clearance therefrom to permit passing the yarn therethrough and drawing it off to a point aligned with the post axis, and a circular guide member concentric with the lower member, spaced upwardly therefrom and below the said ring, the said circular guide member having a rounded outer edge for guiding the yarn and being of such diameter and so spaced from the base member, that yarn passing through the said ring will contact the said circular guide member when the ring is in a position intermediate the top and bottom of the said circular post.

3. Yarn tension device for use with textile tubes, comprising a base member adapted to fit on a tube on which the yarn is wound and having a circular and rounded guide surface for drawing off the yarn, a circular post located centrally of the said member and extending upwardly therefrom, a ring freely rotatable and freely movable axially of the said post, and having clearance therefrom to permit passing the yarn therethrough and drawing it off to a point aligned with the post axis, a circular guide member concentric with the lower member, spaced upwardly therefrom and below the said ring, the said circular guide member having a rounded outer edge for guiding the yarn and being of such diameter and so spaced from the base member, that yarn passing through the said ring will contact the said circular guide member when the ring is in a position intermediate the top and bottom of the said circular post, and a further circular yarn guide member at the top of said post and above the said ring.

4. Yarn tension device for use with textile tubes, comprising a base member adapted to fit on a tube on which the yarn is wound and having a circular and rounded guide surface for drawing 05 the yarn, a circular post located centrally of the said member and extending upwardly therefrom, a ring freely rotatable and freely movable axially of the said post, and having clearance therefrom to permit passing the yarn therethrough and drawing it off to a point aligned with the post axis, a circular guide member concentric with the lower member, spaced upwardly therefrom and below the said ring, the said circular guide member having a rounded outer edge for guiding the yarn and being of such diameter and so spaced from the base member, that yarn passing through the said ring will contact the said circular guide member when the ring is in a position intermediate the top and bottom ofthe said circular post, and a further circular yarn guide member at the top of said post and above the said ring, the second said circular guide member also having a rounded edge for guiding the yarn and being of such diameter that yarn passing through the said ring will contact it when the said ring is in a lower position on the said post but not when it is in an upper position thereon.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,048,889 Ryden Dec. 31, 1912 2,552,086 Bugg May 8, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 659,027' France Jan. 29, 1929 

